Poul Kjaerholm, PK-22 chairs for Fritz Hansen

POUL KJÆRHOLM (Denmark, 1929 - 1980) for Fritz Hansen.
Pair of PK-22 chairs, design 1956.
Brushed satin steel frame and upholstered in original wicker.
Made by Fritz Hansen in 2001, with labels and stamped on frame.
Slight signs of wear and patina typical of its age, small defects in the wicker.
Measurements: 71 x 63 x 63 cm. Seat height: 35 cm.

The PK22 series of chairs are excellent examples of Poul Kjaerholm's ability to work with exquisite materials and minimalism. In the search for the ideal form they were created in a combination of elegant luxury and comfort.

Poul Kjærholm was a Danish designer trained at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, where he entered in 1952 after beginning his apprenticeship with the cabinetmaker Gronbech in 1948. Since the mid-fifties he worked for his friend EjvindKoldChristiansen, a businessman who always gave him total creative freedom. In his earliest creations, such as his PKO plywood furniture series, his strong personality is already evident. In 1958 he attracted international attention with his contribution to the "Formes Scandinaves" exhibition in Paris, and in the same year he won the Lunning Prize for his PK 22 chair. In 1957 and 1960 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale, and in 1959 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1973 he was appointed director of the Danish Design Institute, where he taught from 1976. Today his designs are held in leading design collections, including those of the Victoria & ALbert Museum in London and the MOMA in New York.

The Danish firm Fritz Hansen, founded in 1872, manufactures original, unique, functional and innovative contemporary design furniture. It manufactures its products in its facilities in the north of Copenhagen, making each piece in close cooperation with designers and architects of international prestige. Its collection includes the Egg Chair and Swan chair, the Series 7 chair, the Ant chair and the Oxford chair by designer Arne Jacobsen, as well as tables and armchairs designed by Danish designers Piet Hein and Poul Kjaerholm.